Tree-protector.



E. W. LILJEGRAN.

TREE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 25, 1912 1,072,839. Patented Se1Jt.2,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

avwewtoq ZZZzZ qym/z,

lm Manon COLUMBIA PLANOGIIAPH 00., WASHINGTON. D. c,

E. W. LILJEGRAN.

TREE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1912.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

8 BHEETSSHEET 2.

a? Murmur/0mm Wane/pow COLUMBIA PLANoanM'n CID-,WASHINOTON- D- c.

ERNEST W. LILJEGRAN, OF MEDFOBD, OREGON.

TREE-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Ratonted Sept. 2,1913.

Application filed May 25, 1912. Serial No. 699,815.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EnNns'r W. Lu.- anonax, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Medt'ord, in the county of Jackson ant State ofOregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tree-Protectors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tree protectors, the object in view being toprovide a simple and inexpensive device of the class reterred to, whichwill afford adequate protection against frost, being especially designedfor the protection of fruit trees and other plants, the device beingfurther designed to protect trees, plants, and the like from excessiveheat, dust, destructive birds, and insects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of treeproctector which will enable the same to be readily collapsed, folded,and adjusted to any one of several positions, in accordance withexisting: conditions, so that while it serves as a protection for thetree or plant at night; time and in bad weather, the device as a wholemay be so adjusted as to expose the tree to the action of sunshine atthe proper times.

iVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the(:(mstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the awon'ipanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the: claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: l ig'ure l is a side elevation (it the protector, shownin its fully applied position to a tree. Fig.5. 2 is a plan viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing thecurtain drawn upward. Fig. i is a side elevation, showing the positionassumed by the parts of the protector when the canopy supporting boomsare swung upward. Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing; the manner in whichthe device may be folded within the compass of the tree. Fig. 6 is asectional view of the protector taken diametrically of the mast. Fig. 7is a detail plan view of the boom frog. Fig. 8 is a detail view of theend portion of one of the booms, showing one oi the boom extensions.

In the preferred embodiment of this in vention, I employ a centraltubular mast 1., at the upper end of which is arranged a tubular boomiron 9 which surrounds the upper end of the mast and is secured theretoin any convenient ma nncr, said boom troncxtendingr above the top of themast l, where it is adapted to receive a detachable and tubular masthead 5:3, which sits down into the upper end of the frog and restsagainst the upper extremity of the main body oi" the mast '1..llxtendina outward radially from the t'ro r E2 is a circular serieso'l. booms t, the inner ends of which are pivotally con ncclcd at 5 tocars or lugs (3 arraiured in a. circular series around the frog; 2. llach oi. the booms i; is provided at its outer end with a hole or eye 7,through which one of a. series of operating cords 8 passes, said cordproterahly extending: downwardly below the extremity ot the boom, whereit is providcd with a weight 8' 0] any suitable description. t'orl'n-oducingr the requisite ten sion on the cord to which it istamuectcd, to hold said cord taut, the cord assisting; in properlypositioning and sustaining: the canopy and curtain, hereinafterparticularly described. The cord 8 passes from the outer end of the boomupward through an opening 5) in the side oi the mast head, and thencedownward within the mastv to a point where it, may be grasped andoperated by an attendant standing on the ground.

it will be understood that any desired number oi booms -lmay beemployed, six be ing illustrated in the accompanying drawings. it willalso be uiulerstmal that in connection with each boom, a cord H isemployed, and all oi these cords pass through their respective openingsin the mast head and downwardly through the mast, and which may beprovided at a suitable elevation with an opening it), through which allof the cords pass, in order to enable them to be fastened to the mast.or to a convenient and adjacent portion of the tree in connection withwhich the protector is used.

In order to provide for covers and cur-- t ains of varying sizes to suitany particular tree to which the protector as a whole is applied, eachof the booms may be provided with a boom extension it provided at itsouter end with an eye 12, corresponding with the eye 7 above referred toto receive one of the operating cords S. This boom extension is providedat its inner end with a recess 13, adapting); it to tit over the outerextremity of the main section eloi the boom. In the same manner, mastheads 3 of different lengths may be interchangeably connected with themain body of the,

mast, so as to increase or diminish the height of the protector as awhole.

The cover or canopy 14; which extends above the booms 4 may be made ofany suit able fabric, andv is preferably of a. heavier grade fabric thanthe curtain 15 which extends from the extremities of the boomsdownwardly. The curtain 15 is provided at a suitable number of points orintervals wit eyes or rings 16, through whichthe cords 8 pass, so as toenable the weights 8 tomaintain the curtain in a stretched condition.

In regions where heavy frost/is encountered, it will be necessary forthe ourtain to be made of sufficient length to reach to the ground, sothat all external cold will be excluded and prevented from mixing withthe warm radiation from the earth .which contains moisture that isconverted into frost and mist on the canopy and curtain of the shield,thus increasing the frost resisting properties of the curtain, whichaccumulation gradually evaporates before the late morning sun, and thusprevents the first rays of the rising sun from striking the plant, withthe killing ef feet, at an enormous cost to the growers.

The mast is adapted to be secured to the tree, according to convenience,but at any point where there is no branch to secure the mast to, a crosshead or stay bar 17 may be utilized, one end thereof being fastened tothe tree or any branch thereof, in connection with suitable protectivepadding, such as rags or burlap, the other endof the cross bar beingsecured to the must, as indicated in the drawings. Furthermore, ifdesired, the mast may be made of sufiicient length to reach to theground or be embedded in the ground, thereby forming a lower'support forthe mast.

During the period of the year when the tree is heavily laden with fruit,the frame will be found to form an admirable support for heavily loadedlimbs, and they may be attached by means of ropes or cords to the booms,hereinabove described. This does away with the common practice of usingprops under the limbs which take up valuable ground space.

Then the protector is not in use as such, the curtain may be raised upto the height of the booms, as shown in Fig. 3, or the device may befolded upward above the top of the tree, as shown in Fig. 4, where thereis no Wind present, and in case of high winds the device a whole may befolded downward and thrust in among the branches of the tree, asillustrated in Fig.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. A tree protector, comprising a mast, booms pivo-tally connected withthe mast, a cover of fabric supported by the booms and mast andextending below the boom ends forming a pendant curtain, eyes on saidcurtain, and operating cords connected with the bottom edge of thecurtain passing through the eyes of the curtain and also through eyes inthe booms to the mast head and downwardly lengthwise of the mast.

2. A tree protector, comprising a central tubular mast, booms pivotallyconnected with the mast, a cover of fabric supported by the booms andmast, operating cords passing from the outer extremities of the boomsupward to the mast head and thence downward within the mast, said cordsextending downward below the booms, and being slidable through eyes atthe ends of the booms and weights attached to the cords below the booms.

V 3. A tree protector, comprising a central tubular mast, a detachablemast head form-- ing an extension of the mast, booms pivotally connectedwith the mast, a cover of fabric supported by the booms and mast,operating cords slidable through eyes in the outer extremities of thebooms and extending upward to the mast head and thence downward withinthe mast and weights at the Outer extremities of'the cords.

4. A tree protector, comprising a tubular mast, booms pivotallyconnected with the mast, a cover of fabric supported by the boo-ms andmast and extending below the boom ends forming a pendantcurtain, eyes onsaid curtain, and operating cords connected with the bottom edge of thecurtain and passing through the eyes of the curtain and also througheyes in the booms to the mast head and downward withinv the mast. Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST W. LILJEGRAN.

Vvitnesses:

G. R. RAY, J OHN W. OPP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents;

Washington, .D. G.

